


Just Stay Dead

by SweetSass228



Category: Metal Gear, Metal Gear Rising - Fandom
Genre: Drama, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explanations, How Do I Tag, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot Twists, Raiden is a very angsty child, Return of past characters, Slow Burn, backstories, post mgr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-09-20 12:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9491408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetSass228/pseuds/SweetSass228
Summary: While during a routine mission for his old company, Maverick, Raiden runs into an old enemy. One he thought had died by his own hand.Sam claims he knows nothing of what happened to him or how he's alive, but he had to find Raiden. After all, he still has his sword.(story is on hiatus do not know when next chapter will be up, NOT ABANDONED)





	1. Chapter 1 Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a full chapter story about Raiden and Sam for the longest time but I had no idea what to do for a plot. But now I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want and what people will like. This is only part 1 of Chapter 1, it turned out longer than I thought. Part 2 will be released shortly.
> 
> For the sake of plot and questions, this takes place shortly after MGR:R. Raiden isn't working with Maverick anymore, but hey a man's gotta make money somehow, right? So he's taking illegal jobs for them but has to keep himself hidden for the sake of the company. Also, Rose and Raiden split sometime either before or after Revengeance in this story but I'll get more into that in later chapters. 
> 
> Hope to enjoy! Feedback is greatly appreciated!

The rain poured down harder as Raiden walked along the sidewalk, carrying a large black umbrella. Thunder boomed and lightning followed soon after, briefly lighting up the night. But he felt calm. This was his element. The roads were dark and wet with nobody else around. He estimated it was around 2 in the morning, which could be why nobody in their right mind would be having a nice jog in the middle of heavy rain at 2 in the morning. But that was fine with him; it meant that there was less of a chance of him being followed. Or, if he were being followed, he could easily spot someone trying to use rain as cover. Rain wasn't very effective against most cyborgs.

 

He stopped and looked around a few times before entering a nearby building. The building was a simple design, easily forgettable, harder to recognize. Perfect for a cover.

He folded up his umbrella after shaking off the excess water and brushed a few water droplets off his coat. The doors slid open as he approached them and the woman behind the desk looked up. She had a bored expression on her face but her eyes brightened as the silver haired cyborg came closer.

"Morning, Cynthia." Raiden muttered while shaking out his wet hair.

"Good morning, Raiden. So, is it as bad as it looks out there?" The secretary, Cynthia, giggled as she looked out the window into the dark night.

The man chuckled and set his umbrella down so it leaned against the wall, placing his hands in his coat pockets. "Even worse. Don't go out there unless you absolutely have to, otherwise you'll either drown or die of frostbite."

The girl laughed harder than necessary and tapped Raiden's shoulder. Raiden gave a weak laugh and shrugged. He didn't think the joke was that funny...

 

"Raiden! You always know how to make my day!" The girl laughed and seemed to wipe a tear from her eye.

"Yeah, well, anytime. Now, if you don't mind? I've got an appointment I've got to keep." Raiden made a gesture with his head towards the door at the back of the office.

The girl followed his gaze to the door and cleared her throat to try and stop her giggling fit. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key on a chain and then reached under her desk. She slid the key into its slot, twisted it, and then nodded, smiling back up at Raiden. 

"You know the drill. The door's open for you, Raiden."

"Thanks, gatekeeper. See you later." He gave a two finger salute and then hurried to the back door and away from another another high pitched giggling fit.

 

The door, which normally would have been locked, slid open as he approached. The small room was filled with cardboard boxes, brooms and pans, buckets, and bunch of miscellaneous items. The dust tickled his nose and Raiden held back a sneeze. He got that they wanted the 'authentic' look but would it kill them to at least clean up a bit?

He approached a large bookcase and dug around in his pocket until he pulled out a black keycard with a blue border. He held it up and a blue dot started blinking in the top right corner of the card. He pressed the card against the binder of a black book but the blinking continued at a steady pace. He moved the card around until the blinking got faster and eventually, the blinking turned into a steady blue light once he found a bright red book with markings on it's binder. He pressed the card against it and the borders of the bookcase lit up and split in half, revealing a secret elevator. He took a second to pull out the book just so he could read the title. _The Da Vinci Code._

 

"Doktor, you sure do love your puzzles." Raiden mused, lightly shaking his head as he stepped into the elevator and pushed the second button. The elevator's doors closed and there was rumbling as it started it's descent. It wasn't a very long ride but he was going deep underground at incredible speeds. The elevator started to slow and then stopped altogether with a soft ding, it's doors sliding open. 

The room in front of him was filled with bright light and a slight hint of disinfectant was in the air. People were scurrying around, talking quickly. Most were sat at large desks with multiple screens in front of them. When he stepped into the room, people looked at him in acknowledgment and then hurried past him while one, a blond man with glasses, stopped in front of him.

"Raiden right? Meeting room 5, I think they're waiting for you." 

 

With a nod, Raiden set out down the hallway. He turned right and then had to remember the layout of this base. For security, and with the growing popularity of their company, Maverick started placing hidden command centers throughout various cities. Each command was connected to each other, for quick and easy communication and for security. If something happened to one center, the others would immediately be alerted.

He took another right and turned to the fifth door on the left, reaching into his pocket once more to pull out his card. He slid the card into a slot beside the door and waited until the door slid open before placing the card back in his coat pocket and walking in. 

 

Kevin was already sitting in one of the chairs surrounding the large circular table, looking down with scattered papers and folders in front of him. He was circling something in red pen one some sort of official looking document when he noticed a figure had walked up the table and blocked his light.

"Raiden! Been wondering when you'd show up." He stood up and walked around to table to embrace his friend, patting him on the back a few times before pulling away. He looked down at his now wet shirt and winced.

"Aw, Raiden! You just had to bring the rain in with you, didn't you?" He muttered while Raiden smirked.

"Felt like going on a nice walk. Can you blame me?"

"Who goes on walks late at night in the pouring rain?"

"Me, apparently."

"Well I certainly hope you didn't track it everywhere you went. I don't want to walk out that door and break my back on those wet floors."

"Okay, now you're just being dramatic."

Their little banter was interrupted by the door opening and someone else walking in. Courtney smiled once she saw Raiden and happily trotted up to the two men, setting down a tray of coffee and napkins on the table.

"Raiden! So good to see you again. I'd hug you, but... first you should take that coat off."

Kevin mumbled something before grabbing some napkins from Courtney to dab at his wet shirt. Raiden took off his long black coat and placed it on the back of a chair, brushing himself off before sitting down. 

"Where are Doktor and Boris?" Raiden noticed the absence of the two men while Courtney was pouring a cup of coffee for him.

"Doktor couldn't be here tonight, he's working on another project in one of our other locations. Boris just got here, like you. He'll be here soon."

 

While the three waited, they chatted and drank their coffee. While he wasn't a big fan of coffee, Raiden liked Courtney's coffee. She knew exactly what he liked: a lot of cream, a little milk, and a small hint of cocoa. The Patriots may have taken his human body, but his sweet tooth had definitely stayed. He didn't know how long they were sitting in that meeting room before the door slid open once more and their boss stepped into the room.

"Ah, everyone is there then! Good, then we can begin." The Russian man stood at the edge of the table and everyone who was standing took their seat.

"Establishing connection with Doktor." Courtney began typing into a holographic panel and a minute later, a screen appeared next to Boris with Doktor's face on it. He was sitting in what looked like a dark lab with a few lab assistants running around behind him. When the Doktor noticed Raiden, his eyes lit up.

"Raiden! You're there, good! I've been meaning to talk to you about some recent body upgrades I've designed that I want you to test out. I promise, this time they're completely harmless." Before Raiden could protest, Boris beat him to the punch.

"You can discuss that later, Doktor. Right now, we have a mission to get through." A part of Raiden was glad that Boris intervened. He was going to say no either way; the last time he tested out one of Doktor's 'upgrades' it shut down the nerves in his legs and he was stuck in bed for a week. He'd had to call Courtney down to his apartment to help him move around and he'd given Doktor the silent treatment for two weeks. He was NOT going to go through that again.

 

Boris pushed a button on the table and a holographic image of a large facility showed up, along with Raiden's profile and his identification picture.

"Raiden, you already know you're the man we're sending in. We need you to get in and out without being detected. Remember, you're not officially part of the team anymore, so we cannot help you if you're caught."

Raiden nodded. "Then I won't get caught." He knew the repercussions of getting caught and captured but Boris always made sure he was prepared for the worst, should it come. If anyone knew he was a rogue agent working illegal jobs for a security company, Maverick would most likely be disbanded if they couldn't come up with a story. 

"The building will be _loaded_ with security, inside and out. Most of the guards are cyborgs but the people on the inside will be human. There are also security cameras and systems you will need to get by. Doktor can help you with that, you already know his frequency on the CODEC." Courtney explained as a number of pictures started showing up next to Raiden's photo. Photos of the cyborg security guard, human personal, security cameras and terminals.

"You'll need to get inside and get to the main server room. Unfortunately, the room is sealed tight and has voice recognition software, as well as DNA scanners. The good news is that they haven't worked out the kinks yet and their technological security is sloppy, according to Doktor." Kevin chimed in and a video feed of the server room popped up on the hologram.

"The DNA and voice recognition has only just recently been installed and the facility has records of the systems malfunctioning quite often. It's quite a mess in there, really. Raiden, you can use this to your advantage by plugging yourself into a nearby terminal and manually taking down the system to unlock the main server door." 

"Plug myself in? Doktor, I'm a soldier not a techie. I don't know if I can manually do it myself."

"Raiden, you've already done it once in a sense. Remember in Mexico, when you plugged yourself into a dwarf gekko and manually piloted it? It will be almost exactly like that, only with a bit more willpower and concentration. Trust me, my friend, this will be the easiest part of the mission."

Raiden sighed and gave a shrug, still unconvinced. "Whatever you say, Dok."

 

"The mission is simple, da? Get in undetected, take down the security system without raising the alarm and then extract the data we need from the main server room. You'll need to find an escape route too, preferably one that won't draw too much attention."

"I get it, Boris. You don't want me to get caught. Trust me, I don't want to get caught either. I've done this before and I'll do it again. Anything else I need to know before I head out?" Raiden tried to keep the annoyance out of his tone, but he was just so tired of hearing the same lecture over and over again. He knew Boris was still a little peeved about Raiden's sudden resignation and his following rampage against the World Marshall HQ in Chicago. 

Boris gave him a look and then shook his head. "That about covers it. Kevin and Courtney will be your support for this mission and you will contact Doktor should you need any technical assistance. This facility is located in southern California, so we have a jet all prepared for you. Whenever you're ready, you know where it is. Meeting adjourned."

With that, everyone stood up and the holograms, along with Doktor's video feed, disappeared. Raiden grabbed his still wet coat and draped it over his arm, pausing one moment to finish up his mug of coffee.

"Time to jump back into the fray. Good luck, Raiden."

"Thanks, Courtney. But I won't need it."

 

\-----------------

 

Fifteen minutes later, he was onboard a sleek black jet that he'd grown accustomed to ever since he started taking these jobs for his employers. It was quick, efficient, and rather comfortable for a long ride. The pilot had informed him that the trip from their command center here in Colorado all the way to southern California would only take a few hours. It would have been quicker if it hadn't been for the heavy rain. Once they were out of Colorado, the weather was meant to clear up.

Raiden leaned against the walls of the plane and ran a hand through his soaking hair. He stood to take off his coat, despite the pilot's warnings to remain seated, and threw it onto the seat next to him. His black cyborg body shined with the glare from another nearby lightning strike and he felt the tips of his hair stand. His body had the ability to conduct electricity; he hoped that wouldn't be a safety hazard during this storm.

He sat back down and reached out for his sword that lay resting on the seat in front of him. He unsheathed it and ran the sharpened tips of his fingers down it's length. He'd recovered it's broken pieces when Armstrong destroyed it during their battle and, with the help of Doktor, managed to restore it to it's full glory. It's surface shined with no scratches or markings in sight. He could see himself in it's reflection.

He sheathed his sword and placed the sheath itself on his back, where it magnetically stuck to his body. He leaned back and watched the rain fall, hearing another rumble of deep thunder in the distance.


	2. Chapter 1: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raiden learns that he'll be getting a new partner for this mission and an unexpected surprise awaits him in the building.

The weather started to clear up an hour after they left Colorado airspace and Raiden could now see the rays of the sun start to break through the darkness of night. It was rare that he got to admire a sunrise like this. His nightmares and cyborg body kept him awake long enough for him to see the rising dawn but it was hard for him to truly appreciate something this beautiful when his mind was plagued with repressed memories and thoughts.

 

While he was lost in thought and wonder, his CODEC started vibrating and he saw Courtney's name show up on his radar. As soon as he answered her, her face popped up in front of him. She wore a great big smile and she looked quite awake despite having been in that office for around 18 hours.

 

"Raiden, how's your ride?"

"Looking good, Court. Smooth as always. This view isn't so bad either, I could watch this sunrise for hours." Raiden spoke softly, looking from her face back to the glowing colors in the sky.

"Glad you're enjoying it, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to interrupt your fantasy. You're getting pretty close to the facility but the pilot is going to have to drop you off a few miles away so that we can avoid detection. Are you up for a quick run?" 

 

Raiden stood up from his seat and lightly stretched his synthetic muscles, hearing the whirring and clicking from his robotic body. "You know me, Courtney, always up for a bit of exercise. A quick run will be the perfect warm up before a mission like this."

"Good. Oh! Before I forget, Raiden, we picked up a beacon from one of our other agents in that area. We've reassigned them to assist you on this mission. That way, you'll have a little extra man power and you can both hitch a ride back home." Courtney smiled and readjusted her glasses while bringing up a small map on Raiden's radar, with a small blue dot blinking steadily nearby.

"Alright then, as long as they don't get in my way. Who is it?" Raiden's question was answered with a little giggle, which wasn't actually an answer for him.

"You'll find out. You know 'em pretty well. Well, good luck, Raiden!" "H-hang on, Courtney-" Raiden tried to get a word in before Courtney disabled the connection but sighed once he felt the vibrations in his head cease. Well, looks like he just got a new partner for the day.

 

"Hey! You ready back there? I'm opening up the hatch, be ready to jump!" The pilot called to him from the cockpit and Raiden nodded in confirmation, jogging to the plane's doors and grabbing a hold of the back of one of the seats to keep himself steady. A powerful gust of wind hit him as the doors slid open, exposing him to the cool air and the light. A red light appeared next to the door and Raiden watched it with intense focus. His faceplate connected together as he waited for the signal. The red light blinked once, twice, three times. Once it turned green, Raiden slid his right foot back and propelled himself off the plane, straightening out his body as he began to fall.

 

The wind blew his hair back and whistled in his ears. The noise was so strong it was blocking out everything until there was nothing but high pitched ringing in his ear. He loved the feeling, the sensation. The impact was coming up fast, faster than he anticipated. He twisted his body at the last second to lesson his impact and landed right on his feet with a crouch. Dust and grass spread around him. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. As if a switch was flipped, reality came rushing back and Raiden could hear the faint engine of the plane going in the opposite direction.

 

He stood up and brushed himself off to be rid of the dust he kicked up while his radar came up on screen. Oh, right. Courtney mentioned that walk. Oh well.

"You've been wanting to take a good run anyway, Raiden. Don't lie to yourself." He muttered under his breath and began a light jog. As he picked up speed, the electricity in his body corresponded with his limbs and he felt the energy flow through him. Pretty soon, he was going as fast as a regular sports car. His body shone as the sun's rays reflected off of him and he could feel the warm seeping into his body. He forgot how... exhilarating this was. Running as fast as he could, everything around him becoming a blur. The last time he'd ran like this he was on a timer, but he really needed to do this more often, just by himself. 

 

His radar dinged as he grew closer to his destination and he willed himself to slow down. He could see a small building up ahead, it looked sort of like a checkpoint. Ahead of that, he could see the facility itself. Along with the security drone that was quickly coming his way. It hadn't spotted him yet - the lights on it's paneling were still green as it scanned- but it would definitely spot him if he tried to speed past that thing.

 

The sheath on his back rotated for easy access to the handle of his sword and he pulled it out with ease. He leaped high into the air, above the drone, and readied his sword. As soon as he got within range, time slowed. He sliced in many different directions, making perfect cuts into the robot. Time soon caught up to him and he landed with a skid on the ground as tiny pieces of the drone fell apart onto the ground. That takes care of that...

Raiden kept a tight grip on his sword's handle as he dove behind the smaller building in front of him. If there were more drones ahead, he wanted to be prepared. He waited until his radar said it was clear and ran down the provided path in front of him. More security was littered around the front of the main building and by the weapons and specific armor they carried, Raiden could tell they were cyborgs. Heavy duty cyborgs too; their weapons were designed to pack quite a punch. Whatever they were guarding in there must be important if the facility was willing to spend top dollar on that kind of security.

With time to muse on that later, Raiden hopped onto another rooftop for a better view. Before he had time to react, he heard a spark, a crash, and the crushed and sliced up body of a security drone landed next to him. Obviously he couldn't have done that, which meant-

 

" _Raiden._ "

 

A robotic voice sent him into a defensive stance, ready to fight whoever challenged him. To his surprise, a four legged robot came out into the open and joined him on the rooftop. The dog's long tail trailed behind him, swaying back and forth in an almost hypnotic way.

 

"Bladewolf? It's good to see you. What are you doing here?" Raiden crouched to be on Wolf's level, his faceplate splitting apart to reveal his friendly face.

" _I was assigned to this mission to be your support. How have you been?_ " The wolf sat down on his haunches in front of Raiden with his ears sticking straight up.

"How have I been? You never used to ask me that, Wolf."

" _Sunny has requested that I be more... friendly to you. Was it wrong of me to ask you that?_ "

"N-no. Not at all. I've been... alright."

" _That is good. We should continue to the main objective._ " Bladewolf stood back up and walked over to the edge of the building, his faceplate coming together. He looked up at his own built in HUD and saw through the layout of the entire building - something Raiden was incapable of doing.

" _There is an opening in the right side of the building. I suggest we quicken our pace before anyone notices we are here._ "

"Whatever you say, boss."

 

It was easy getting past the cyborg security once Bladewolf had laid out their routes. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have Wolf as his partner again. 

Once they were inside the building, the two had to split up. Wolf would go ahead of them - he was built for this sort of sneaking operation - while Raiden would find an alternative route. Thanks to years under his mentor, Solid Snake, Raiden knew the ways of stealth and how to get by an enemy unseen. All without the help of the handy cardboard box.

 

He moved quickly above a catwalk in the upper levels, watching the scientists and engineers working below him. They were completely oblivious to the armored cyborg stalking them from above. Raiden could see a door in the corner of the room and his radar was telling him that the room he needed to get into was in there. Unfortunately, too many engineers were lingering around the door for him to find a quick entry. He would have to find another entrance.

This entrance provided itself in the form of a conveniently open vent near where Raiden was crouched, and it looked like it would lead right into the room he needed to get into. Perfect.

He crawled inside the vent - although he had trouble not getting his sword stuck - and pushed himself forward through the tight space. He tried not to make too much noise to attract the attention of those below him. He eventually found another opening and was surprised to find no one in the room he landed in. If their server room was so important, wouldn't there be extra security around the room? Maybe they thought their 'advanced' security would keep anyone unqualified out.

Raiden approached the console next to the door and he could see the scanners already active and ready to scan his DNA. He kicked open a panel below it and began digging through the wires. Whatever plug Doktor was talking about would have to be somewhere in this mess.

 

" _Raiden._ " 

 

Raiden reached for his blade and spun around, only to find his partner beside him.

"Jesus Chr-! Wolf! Stop doing that. Where did you even come from?" The wolf answered his question simply by looking up at the same vent Raiden had crawled through.

"Whatever, just watch the door and make sure no one comes through. I have to figure out how this works." As Raiden turned back to sorting out the wiring, Bladewolf sat down right in front of the door behind him and waited. 

 

Eventually, a small triumphant sound came from Raiden once he pulled out something that looked like the thing he had worked with back in Mexico. He reached behind him and pulled back some strips of hair to plug it into the implant he had at the base of his skull. 

It was almost instant. He felt instantly connected and disconnected to the room around him and his body was filled with vibrations and lightning. It was like seeing through that gekko's eyes months ago. The feeling was... strange, but pleasant in a weird way. It almost felt like he was channeling electricity through his robotic body but in a different way. It was strange to explain, even to himself. "Yeah. I can do this."

 

While Raiden was lost in the security, Wolf was keeping his sensors running at full capacity. He could see through the walls and was not only watching the humans but hearing them as well. Something moving at a fast pace caught his robotic eye. It was shaped like a human but not like the humans they had seen before. The wolf had heard the phrase 'curiosity kill the cat', but why couldn't the cat be a wolf? He had heard the last part of that phrase as well; 'but satisfaction brought it back'.

When Raiden had unlocked the door and manually disconnected himself, Bladewolf was gone. He thought about contacting him and asking him what was wrong but he probably just ran off again like he normally did. He'd most likely meet him outside once the work was done.

 

The server room was pretty spacious despite the lack of inventory. They must still be in the middle of connecting everything together, with all the loose wiring everywhere. As he was looking around, Doktor's face popped up in front of Raiden.

 

"Well done, my friend! See? Didn't I tell you that would be simple? Now, since you've gotten access to the server room, all you have to do is get to the main control panel and deactivate the security. I can take it from there."

"Roger." With that, Raiden jogged down the rows and rows of computers and wires in search of the control panel. He guessed it would probably be the biggest one in the room, or the one with the most wires connected to it. Apparently, he was right; his radar was telling him that the computer he was looking right at had to be the main control panel.

"Alright, Doktor, I'm at the control panel. I'm shutting off the security... now!" With a push of a button, the blue lights that lit up the room dimmed and Raiden used his faceplate to light up the room for him. 

"Wonderful, Raiden! Wait just a moment while I extract what we need. This should only take a minute or two." 

 

Raiden folded his arms and began his wait. This would be a good time to check on Wolf and see where he had run off to. He pressed a finger to his ear and felt a light buzzing sensation as he tried to get in contact with the robot. "Wolf? Where did you go? Were you spotted?" 

 

No response. Maybe he'd gotten into trouble and had been disabled. "Wolf, if you can hear me I'm coming to get you. Hold on."

 

Before Raiden could even turn around, he felt a presence nearby. A shape, a figure, had ducked down out of sight and without a sound. Raiden swore under his breath and pulled out his sword. Whoever was stalking him right now, he had to eliminate immediately before they blew his cover and raised the alarm. He took slow, gliding steps across the room whilst keeping an eye out for another other movement. He couldn't tell if the darkness was playing tricks on him or if he was actually seeing something.

 

A black figure charged straight at him from the left and he had barely any reaction time before he was plowed straight into the wall and pinned down by a body. Using the strength from his legs, Raiden shoved the person away from him and pulled himself out of the wall, creating an imprint of him in the concrete. With a shout, Raiden raised his sword and swung towards the figure. His opponent was too quick, his sword was swinging aimlessly at the air. A flash of light and silver warned him of a weapon and he went into a defensive pose. The clashing of swords created sparks that briefly lit up their area but Raiden used the impact to push his enemy away. His faceplate flashed so he could see who he was fighting more clearly. They were wearing heavy black and gold armor, built for a cyborg soldier. Their faceplate prevented him from identifying who they were. That didn't matter; he could find out who it was after they were dead.

 

"I don't know who you are or why you're picking a fight with me, but there's no way I'm backing down."


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raiden and his mysterious opponent battle it out but the way this person fights is so familiar to Raiden. Where has he seen this before?

Broken pieces of paneling and wires flew in various directions as the two cyborgs battled. Sparks violently illuminated the darkened room. Swords clashed loudly and scraped against one another. Raiden's blade was highly superior compared to his adversary's but whoever was handling that blade had to be some sort of master. Their technique was flawless, their posture was perfect before a strike. They couldn't be a simple security guard here. A bounty hunter maybe? But, who would have sent them?

 

Nothing could beat him or his blade, regardless of one's skill or weapon. He'd gotten the upper hand more than once since the start of their fight but they had managed to knock him back every time he went for a critical blow. They could go from offensive to defensive in the blink of an eye. If he wasn't in such a hurry, he'd be more impressed. If he couldn't get rid of them quickly, his cover would be obliterated. Boris would kill him.

A blade struck him in the shoulder and he let out a short cry of pain. He'd moved quick enough to avoid getting pinned by the sword but it had sliced through some of his synthetic muscle. It stung like hell but it could have definitely been worse. He stuck his sword into the ground and used it to propel himself forward, kicking his opponent farther away from him. He brought a hand up to his injury and looked down at the milky white blood now coating his palm. Another problem for another time, apparently.

 

A buzzing in his ear brought him out of his thoughts and he grunted as he blocked another forceful downward swing. Who would be calling him at this time?!

"Raiden! What's happening down there, man? Doktor's been trying to get in touch with you. He says your heart rate and adrenaline just shot up like a rocket." Kevin's voice yelled in his ear, which distracted him long enough to be pinned once again.

"A bit busy here, Kevin. Got ambushed, dealing with it. Tell Doktor to finish whatever the hell he needs to do so I can get out of here." Raiden pushed himself up, fighting against his opponents tight grip. That arm definitely had to be robotic.

"Doktor's almost done. Hang in there, buddy!" He felt the buzzing in his skull immediately cease as Kevin was silenced. With a shout, Raiden shoved the cyborg off of him and used the sharp tip of his blade to create some distance between the two.

 

This was quickly going no where. They were evenly matched in this tiny room. If they made anymore noise someone would surely come to see what was going on. He was surprised no one heard him when he nearly crashed straight through the wall. He had to get out of here. Where the hell did Bladewolf run off to?!

 

He slid his foot back and held up his sword, readying his offensive strike. His opponent fell for his ruse and dove forward with his sword held in a defensive manner. Raiden waited until they were within a few feet before diving to his right, tripping up his opponent. They hadn't expected it, just as he predicted, and they fell forward into a row of servers. It fell against another row and they both toppled like dominoes into a pile of electrical wiring and sharp debris, but it gave him enough time to slip away into the darkness of the room. He crouched beside an already destroyed row of panels and stopped to catch his breath. He could only rest for a moment. If they were fighting as well as he was in the pitch black darkness then their faceplate must work the same way his did. If not, then maybe he wasn't even fighting a cyborg. This could be an advanced security robot. No, that's too far fetched; no one could teach a robot those kind of techniques.

 

They would be at it for a long time at this rate; he had to get out of here. His radar dinged and briefly lit up his surroundings and he spotted a vent across the room from where he was. He could escape from there and get out before anyone noticed he was here. Maybe even lock this nuisance in the room and let them take the fall for him. He crouched down once more and took a deep breath. He held it for one second. Two. Three.

 

With a short burst of energy, he started sprinting across the dark room and towards his exit. He crossed the room in quick strides with his long legs. He jumped to grab a hold of the edge when something gripped his ankle. He had no time to react before he was violently thrown back across the room and nearly through the wall again. He groaned at the pain directly centered on his spine and his radar was flashing red with the damage he received. Now he was in immense pain and he had less time to escape. His spine was the weakest point on his body. He needed Doktor's armor upgrades now more than ever.

 

He looked up at his attacker, who was stood at the end of the hallway in a taunting manner. His posture mocked him; 'come at me again, I dare you'. It infuriated him.

Raiden had dealt a bit of damage to his opponent beforehand. The faceplate that was hiding their face had cracked and, with a short ding from his radar to illuminate their shape, he could see long strands of brown hair sticking out of the side. That didn't help him identify who he was fighting exactly but at least he was doing some sort of damage. And it helped confirm his own theory as to _what_ he was fighting.

They started walking steadily towards him. Apparently they were tired of waiting for him to get back up. Raiden needed more rest before he could fight again but there was no energy to absorb anywhere near here. And this person was persistent (and annoying) as hell. 

 

When they got too close, he swiped at them with his sword, which seemed to surprise him. When a dog is cornered, they have nothing else to do but bite. Raiden had more bite than bark.

 

" _Raiden!_ "

 

Bladewolf jumped out of seemingly nowhere and got in between his partner and his attacker. His claws stood outstretched and his haunches stood up, ready to strike whenever. But the foe merely looked at the wolf and their shoulders seemed to shake a short laughter. The voice sounded deep, masculine. And familiar.

 

" _Raiden, are you alright? You must get back up._ " Wolf's concern was touching, but Raiden's body still ached with overexertion. It had been a long time since he had fought someone of this skill. A piece of him, locked away deep in his memory, loved the feeling of the pain. It was impressed with his foe's abilities but it wanted to be better. The darker side of him that wanted bloodshed. No, not again. Not here.

 

Bladewolf turned back to the cyborg male, his posture remaining the same. The cyborg seemed indifferent to the robo-dog in front of him and merely shrugged whilst twirling his blade.

 

" _You did not mention your plans of attacking him._ " Even with his monotone voice, Wolf sounded angry and tense. What was he talking about? Wolf _knew_ that he was going to be attacked? Why didn't he come stop him?

 

" _Answer me, Samuel._ "

 

"What?!" Raiden sat straight up and groaned at the strain it put on his recovering body. 

 

No. No, that was impossible. Bladewolf must be confused, he must be. He was a robot, after all. Robots weren't as intelligent as humans. He must have been thinking back to the badlands. Sam had died. Jetstream Sam was dead, Raiden had made sure of that. He even had his old sword, his Murasama, hanging on the wall of his apartment. A reminder of the man who had almost come close to his level.

 

"No harm done, Wolf. Look, he's feeling better already. Aren't you, Jack?"

 

Oh, God no.

 

_'Sam'_ merely sheathed his sword and casually strolled up to Raiden. The black cyborg raised his head in defiance and held up his sword. Whoever, whatever, this thing was, he didn't want it anywhere near him. When 'Sam' tried to step closer, Raiden snarled and swung at him like a wild animal. This made Sam chuckle and he put up his hands in surrender before stepping back. Like it was some sort of joke to him. Like he didn't just come back from the land of the dead. Like he didn't survive a blade piercing straight through his chest. Bladewolf came to stand beside Raiden and nudged his head under his arm, helping the cyborg to his feet. The wolf stood right on the tips of his claws so Raiden could lean against him until he could stand on his own.

 

"You," Raiden lifted his sword and directed it at Sam, "you're dead. You're supposed to be dead."

 

Sam laughed once more and lowered his hands. "Well, I don't know about you, Raiden, but I'm feeling pretty alive right now. You haven't lost your touch, that was a great fight." He shrugged and lightly massaged his right shoulder.

 

With a grunt and a snarl of defiance, Raiden lunged forward and pinned Sam to the ground, pressing his sword into the flesh of his neck. He willed his faceplate undone so Sam could see the pure anger (and slight fear) in his eyes. He dug his clawed fingers in between the cracks he made in Sam's faceplate and forcefully tore it off, splitting it into two pieces. He was pleased to see the sliver of surprise in Sam's eye but the mischief that replaced it angered him even more.

 

"Pretty boy, there are other ways to work out that adrenaline, you know. But, I know how you feel; I'm quite irresista-ghk!" Sam choked as Raiden replaced the sword with his clawed hand. He could easily reverse his mistake right here and now but curiosity gnawed away at him. He had to know.

 

"Why. Are. You. Here?" Every word that made it past his gritted teeth was enunciated with his hand clenching even harder on Sam's neck. The Brazilian man below him seemed a little fearful that Raiden would actually choke him to death in his fury.

 

" _Raiden, we must leave. Security has been alerted of our presence. I advise leaving now to avoid being spotted or detained._ " Bladewolf stuck his head in to get Raiden's attention and, with a moment's hesitation, Raiden released Sam, who coughed and sucked in mouthfuls of air.

 

" _Through the vent. We must hurry._ " Without another word, Wolf leaped towards the vent and Raiden followed without even looking back at Sam. Maybe this was all just an elaborate ruse, maybe he hit his head too hard and was hallucinating everything. Hell, maybe he was back in Colorado and had just slipped and fallen in the rain and maybe Kevin or Courtney found him and took him back to his apartment and maybe he was just nursing a concussion. Please let that be it.

Judging by the sounds of another body crawling through the vent behind him, he was wrong. So very, very wrong.

 

Loud alarms were going off inside and out of the building. Raiden could see through the covers in the vents, he could see people scrambling, trying to figure out what was going on. Security was having trouble rounding everyone up and making their way through the crowds of scientists. Hallways were filled with shouting voices. Office doors were being shut and locked down. It was mass hysteria. It seemed like they were so confident in their security that they refrained from running any emergency drills. Honestly, these people shouldn't be allowed to be handling this type of information. No wonder it was so easy to break in. 

 

It was even easier breaking out. Raiden hopped out of the vent and landed in a crouch. Bladewolf was sat waiting for him but he didn't move until Sam followed right behind Raiden, which annoyed Raiden for reasons he couldn't quite explain at the moment. Wolf led the two men away from the building and from security. The robot's radar was designed to show the best course of action and he had an entire map layout in his mind for them to follow. Raiden tried to keep ahead of Sam but every time he would glance back, Sam would be right there next to him. His pace had quickened since he last saw him.

 

Wolf snapped for Raiden to keep up with him until they were at a safe distance from the facility. They had to duck behind cover to avoid the swarm of security drones headed their direction, but their escape had been near flawless. Nobody saw him go in, and nobody saw him go out. 

 

Raiden took the lead and allowed Wolf and Sam to follow him down the dusty road. He remembered Courtney telling him that this area was mostly abandoned for the sake of building facilities like the one behind them, but there were still old buildings that had been scheduled to be demolished. Many of the buildings still stood, but time did it's job of destroying them. 

 

There was an old, collapsing gas station just ahead; perfect for them to stop and take a breath. When Raiden skidded to a halt and looked behind him, Sam had been following close behind. Unlike Raiden, he was breathing heavily from their run. He still had his organic lungs, it seemed. Wolf, as if sensing the heavy tension growing in the air, scampered off somewhere to make sure they weren't being followed or to alert them is something happened. Without the intelligent robot beside him, Sam almost looked fearful at the thought of Raiden snapping and burying him out here in the middle of nowhere in his fury.

 

Raiden clenched his fists tightly and walked right up to Sam, having to look up just slightly at the taller man. He pointed a sharpened nail at him , poking at his chest.

 

"You are going to sit here and explain to me how you're not currently six feet under. Right. Now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam finally makes his debut! Er, his return. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I was kinda 'ehhh' on this the entire time I wrote it but hopefully I can make the next chapter more interesting because fight scenes are not my expertise.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raiden and Sam take a moment to relax and Raiden needs an explanation. Fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait, but I had some schoolwork getting in the way. To make up for it, I decided to make this chapter a little longer but it is really heavy on dialogue. Luckily, that's my field of expertise! Hope you guys enjoy! Hopefully, the next chapter will be up sooner than the previous.

The two armored men had what felt like a long stare-down until Sam grinned and threw up his arms as if he had just told a joke and was expecting someone to laugh. He took a few steps towards Raiden which made the silver haired man flinch. Sam's posture and stance expressed friendliness but the reason why Sam was such a mighty warrior was because he could trick his enemies into thinking he was no threat. Raiden had fallen for it once and had paid the price, he was not going to fall for this trick again. 

 

Sam seemed unnerved but caught on quick that if he took another step Raiden might strike again. Raiden could fight like an animal backed into a corner if he felt that the situation was turning and Sam wasn't up for another brawl in some California wasteland. Imagine, being defeated twice in the same setting. Like fate had just decided to screw him over just one more time. Besides, there was no way he could win another fight in these conditions. Terrible, scraped armor. A slab of cut and sharpened metal that someone decided to call a sword. Faced against a sleek, military trained cyborg commando with a blade that was forged and molded to cut into the thickest and hardest materials known to the Earth. Quite unfair if Sam did say so himself.

 

To make his current interrogator feel more comfortable with him, Sam slowly raised his hands up to show a sign of surrender. As if sending a message to Raiden: "relax, will you? I'm not going to hurt you". The black armored cyborg's body refused to relax for a single second. With his sword raised in front of him, Raiden took slow steps towards Sam, with his feet gliding through the sand and dirt. His feet made crunching noises below him in the gritty earth and there was a crinkling of glass as he passed through a shattered bottle that had started to burrow into the ground and hide in the broken concrete. He continued to come closer without breaking eye contact, which Sam thought was both strong and intimidating. But a twing of concern passed through him as he stared deeper into Raiden's robotic eyes. He didn't have a merciful look to him, rather one with ill intent. For a moment, Sam thought that he would have to break his composure and go for his sword but Raiden was too close already to take his chances. It would have been over before his fingers could twitch.

 

Raiden stopped in front of him, a full 10 inches away from him, and his eyes began to roam all over Sam's body. Sam would have smirked and made a witty quip if Raiden wasn't close enough he could slit his throat without effort. Sam was already thinking of some saucy remarks when Raiden suddenly waved his sword in the air, missing Sam's face by mere centimeters. Intimidation tactics, those were not lost on the Brazilian. It may have worked only a little but Sam was just relieved that Raiden hadn't thought of him as a threat. Well, not a 'serious' threat apparently. Which felt a little insulting to his pride. He'd have to bring it up later.

 

"So, are we done with the interrogation? I don't know about you, but my arms are getting pretty sore." He felt that now would be a good time to bring out the sass in him and, thankfully, Raiden merely rolled his eyes and stepped away.

 

"Put your arms down, but don't try anything. Don't make me regret not finishing you off earlier." With that said, Raiden sheathed his high-frequency blade and Sam lowered his arms back to his sides. "Now then, back to my earlier question: why are you here?"

 

Sam brought a hand up and lightly scratched at his beard. In this outdoor light, Raiden could see the subtle differences in this Sam than the previous one he fought months ago. His hair seemed a bit longer, not by much but enough for Raiden to notice. He turned his head slightly and Raiden could see a long line of paler skin that formed a scar on his neck. It started at his jawbone on the left side and went down but Raiden couldn't see where it ended under the armor. He didn't do that, did he? There would no doubt be a nasty one on his chest where Raiden made an attempt on his life. He wondered what it looked like now, or if it had been covered up by more cybernetic implants.

 

While Raiden was pondering this, Sam seemed to have won his inner struggle, since he was taking a while to answer Raiden's question. He seemed uncomfortable, which looked strange to see on the Jetstream Sam. 

 

"Look, Raiden. I'm sure you have many questions for me, I would to if I was in your shoes. But I must warn you, it is a long story. Might I suggest we find a nice shady spot to have a nice discussion?" Sam made a grand gesture with his arms towards the dilapidated station next to them. It made sense, technically they were both hiding out right now and you couldn't exactly 'hide' when you were standing in the middle of the road.

Raiden contemplated it briefly and then nodded, allowing Sam to go first before following directly behind. He was still being cautious; Sam still had his sword and he could easily find a way to overpower him if he let his guard down. He wasn't going to be defeated because of another stupid mistake he made.

 

The inside of the building looked almost as bad as the outside. It was hot and musty with dust filling every space it could reach. Shelves were broken and toppled over, empty and rotting away due to age and insects. There were fridges in the back that must have been used to store cold beverages but the glass in the doorframe had shattered in each door, littering the broken checkered floor. The floor itself looked like it would collapse if the tiniest mouse decided to take its chances with it. The black and white tiles were so dirty that they all blended into the same dull shade of grey and chips of all shapes and sizes were scattered everywhere. The counter was missing a register but had containers that must have once held food but the wildlife and environment had gotten to it first. The glass display case was shattered into tiny crystals but, unlike the rest of the debris, hadn't been scattered to and fro. In the back of the station, the top corners of a door frame were sticking out from under broken wooden debris from the caved in ceiling. The two men took a side and lifted the large chunk of concrete and wood with little effort. They set it to the side and then carved their way to the door. The wood split and the glass crunched under their heavy feet as they walked inside what might have been the owner or manager's makeshift office. A wooden desk sat rotting in the corner, chewed up and broken beyond repair. Not the best place to catch up on things but it made a great hiding spot should they get unwelcome company.

 

Raiden preferred not to touch anything in the room and simply stood in the doorway while Sam sauntered in and leaned up against a metal filing cabinet that was pretty much the only thing in the entire building that wasn't decayed, only dirty.

 

"Alright, we're alone now. And you're going to tell me everything, from the very beginning." Raiden's commanding tone didn't intimidate Sam in the slightest but it got his message across. No bullshit this time.

 

"Well, if we're going from the beginning. My father ran his own school while my mother-"

"Sam"

Sam laughed and shook his head. "I'm messing with you, bonito. I know what you meant." His smile dropped slowly and he looked down towards Raiden's feet as he recollected. 

"It's obvious how our last encounter went. You won, I lost. In a way, I expected it. But I had Bladewolf give you that message in case I did lose, so you could stop them." He paused to shake his head and air escaped him in a chuckle as he looked up at Raiden's face. "We worked for years, I was invested in them. Until, one day, you came along and made me doubt everything I ever did. Is that a gift or a curse you have, Raiden?" 

Raiden's face and posture remained unchanged but his eyes seemed to glint with what appeared to be annoyance and... something else. 

"I stabbed you. Bladewolf confirmed you were dead." 

"Because I was. I closed my eyes, waited for the pain to stop. And it did. I didn't expect to wake up again." 

Sam was looking back down but at his own feet this time. He was uncharacteristically wringing his hands and Raiden made a note of that. Another thing to add to the list of changes. 

"I remember... white. Bright, white lights. And it was cold. I was on some sort of surgical table, strapped down. My entire body felt like it was on fire. The only thing I could remember was seeing you, on that day. I had been... 'dead' for around three weeks, I found that out later. You'd stopped Armstrong, basically saved the world from war and destruction. Anyway, these people kept coming around to check on me and I'd realized that they had kept me alive the entire time. I don't know how they found me in the badlands but I was alive, and it was all thanks to them." 

He paused and Raiden couldn't see his face now. He took slow steps away from the doorway and closer to him. He kept his eyes glued to the Brazilian man the entire time. Sam may have been cooperating now but he'd had the upper hand back in the server room, in a confined space. He wasn't going to get blindsided again, not this time. 

Sam looked up again at Raiden and held out his left arm, which, Raiden noted, looked different than the last time he saw it. Still followed the black and red color scheme of Desperado but a different pattern, an almost camouflage looking pattern. 

"They fixed me up. Repaired any damages to my body." He tapped on his chest plate. "Even this. I've got a little more metal in me now." His voice sounded indifferent but the way his eyes looked at his own body told a different story. 

"Do you hate it?" The question came out of nowhere and Raiden wasn't even fully aware that he had said it until Sam looked at him in surprise. 

Sam looked down at his chest and then at his arm, contemplating Raiden's question. Finally, he shrugged and looked up. "I'm not sure yet. It's kept me alive, so can I really complain?" 

"Anyway, I never really found out why they kept me alive or even brought me back at all. But... I had a bad feeling. Like I had to get out, or something would happen. Something bad. I had to wait for my chance. I was unarmed, still recovering, and wherever I was held had a lot of security. I waited for the day they decided to test my reflexes with a sword. They gave me some mock armor that was supposed to look like my Desperado uniform and a sword and were about to put me in some kind of large container. I took my chance then. I broke away, killed some poor lab assistant. And ran. I ran until I was out and I ran until I couldn't see them anymore." 

His face looked thoughtful and distant. As if he was reliving it in his mind. Reliving his escape back to freedom. He'd gone quiet, as if he didn't know what to say. If Raiden would call bullshit and kill him or if he believed him and was still pissed off. 

Raiden stepped forward and cautiously put a hand on his shoulder. There was a genuine look of surprise on both their faces but Raiden kept his hand where it was. Maybe it was his attempt at comfort or a way to bring Sam back to reality but he kept his hand there until Sam nodded and he pulled it back. 

"Where did you go? And how did you know I would be here?" Ah, there was the suspicion again. Oddly enough, that was more comforting than whatever that touchy moment was. 

"Like I said, I ran. And, as I expected, I was being followed. Apparently I did what I do best and I made some powerful people _very_ angry. They want their product back but they'll have to kill me if they want me back. I don't know why I decided to find you. Maybe because you still have my sword. I still want that back, by the way." Sam's signature smirk looked at him and Raiden rolled his eyes. 

"Yeah, yeah." Raiden lightly punched Sam's shoulder and returned to his spot at the doorframe. He leaned against the frame while keeping his back to Sam, which made him uncomfortable. But he needed some time to think. If Sam decided to pull something, he would have done it already. He'd had plenty of opportunities. 

His story sounded believable. It would explain how he was still alive and why he looked so different. But why? Why bring him back? What purpose would he serve? Of course, he already knew his reputation as Jetstream Sam but that Sam caused a lot of trouble for a lot of people. Maybe that's why they fixed him; to use him as a weapon for a rival. If that was the case than he could understand why he fled. 

And of course he would want his sword back. Raiden had kept it after the whole Armstrong ordeal and it was currently hung up in his apartment. It was an amazing piece of work. But it wasn't his to begin with. As much as he hated to admit it, Sam deserved to have his sword back. 

When Raiden turned back around, he noticed Sam's eye lingered at his hips before moving back up to his face, a mischievous glint in them. Was he...? Had he been staring at his ass the entire time he'd looked away? Honestly, he wasn't as surprised as he should have been. 

He put his hands on his hips and gave him a questioning look, which Sam replied with a shake of his head and a sly grin on his face. 

"What can I say, menino bonito? Whoever built your body did a very fine job, in my own opinion." 

Sam laughed as Raiden's response was a simple raise of an eyebrow and a tired sigh. "Do you want your sword back or not?" 

"Oh, does that mean your willing to give it back?" 

"It's not mine to begin with. But that means you're coming back with me, and I don't know how my co-workers are going to react to you not being dead." Raiden hadn't even thought about that until he said it. He'd have to come up with something to tell the boss. 

A soft, crinkling sound alerted the two and they both tensed and went for their swords. Bladewolf trotted inside and looked up at the two and they instantly relaxed. 

" _I am glad to see that you are having a discussion and not a fight._ " Raiden smiled at the robo-dog and leaned down to rub at one of his ears. For an AI-programmed assassin, Wolf seemed to be more diplomatic than he let on. 

Wolf walked right up to Sam and seemed to nudge his thigh for attention, which surprised Sam. With a glance up at Raiden, he lightly rubbed his palm against the robot's smooth head and the wolf responded by rubbing his head against his hand. Ever since Sunny had gotten her genius hands on his programming, Wolf would soak in as much attention as possible. Raiden loved it; he felt like he had a pet dog that he could care for without having to constantly feed it and bathe it. They hadn't quite gotten to belly rubs yet for Raiden but Sunny had found the spots that could get the Wolf's legs kicking. 

"I didn't know you had a dog, Raiden. Whatever happened to the Bladewolf that I knew?" Sam joked while scratching under the robot's chin. 

"Yeah, well I can't take credit for all of it. Now, we better get out of here. My superiors are probably wondering where I'm at, I didn't check in after your little ambush." 

"How else was I going to get your attention." Sam defended himself against the accusing glare Raiden gave him. 

"You wait here while I make the call. Wolf will keep you company." Raiden walked out of the little office and out of the building into the hot afternoon humidity. The faster he got out of here the better. 

But the question was; how was he going to get him and Sam a ride back without telling anyone about Sam? Worse, he'd have to tell and trust that person not to spread it around. There wasn't anyway for Sam to hide his identity since Raiden destroyed his faceplate and he didn't trust Sam enough to make sure he kept a low profile. That man had walked in front of an armored tank and grinned like it was nothing after he split the driver in two. 

So Raiden would need someone trustworthy enough to tell. But who? Not Boris, he would ask too many questions and no offense but he did have a bit of a loud mouth around the office. He could gossip like a housewife if he was given the opportunity. Same goes for Courtney, she would pry and pry for information like it was her life source. And of course the first person she would tell would be Kevin. He probably couldn't trust Kevin either. He wasn't as much of a gossip but he wouldn't feel morally obligated to keep the secret. Raiden remembered the lecture he got from Kevin when he brought up the idea of going up against Desperado and World Marshall, despite their shady business. 

He was running out of options. He couldn't just call in any old pilot, it had to be someone he trusted, someone who would be willing to keep this hidden just until he could approach it with caution. 

Wait... 

\-------------- 

"I don't see why I need to be here, Raiden. Unless you picked up something of importance, but even then you could have just brought it back for me to analyze." 

"Trust me, Doktor. This is something you're going to want to see. What's your ETA?" 

"I'll be there in 20 minutes or so. I have your location on the radar." 

"Good. Raiden out." 

Well, that takes care of that. He hoped Doktor would understand. He was a very reasonable man and a very smart one. He would understand Raiden's reasons for not telling anyone. 

Raiden made his way back into the office, where Sam and Wolf must have been having a little pow-wow before he interrupted it. He didn't know what they had been talking about but he could guess that Wolf was filling him in on what had happened after he'd 'died', because he'd heard the name 'Armstrong' mixed in. 

"We've got a ride out of here. It'll be here in 20 minutes." Raiden informed the Brazilian man, who nodded in confirmation. 

Raiden leaned up against the wall, ignoring the protesting crackling of weakened wood, and closed his eyes. When they sent him out here, he expected a simple mission. Get in, grab the objective, get out. He didn't expect to get in, get the data, and then suddenly be attacked by an old rival he thought long dead. And now said dead rival was asking for his weapon back and seemed to harbor no ill will towards him for 'killing' him. So far. There was still plenty of time for Sam to turn the tables on him and slit his throat. 

"I... I appreciate this, Raiden. I understand that you have no reason to trust me after what had happened. But, I assure you that I'm not going to shove a sword into you the second I get the chance." Well, that put his doubts to ease. 

"It's nothing. I read up on you after the whole Armstrong and Desperado situation was over. I admire what you did before. Taking out a whole cartel with nothing but a sword? And that was before cyborg technology skyrocketed. Impressive." He was being honest. When he first got his sword, it took him a while to get used to it after having used guns for a long while. Before that time, he had only used knives when he was a child. Solidus had trained him with a sword when he was only a little older and there was a still a scar on the back of his neck from those training sessions. The rest of them had been erased when he got his new body. 

"You make me blush, Raiden. Maybe I could teach you a few tricks of mine." 

"Hey, let's not forget who won our last fight. And while you were 'dead', I haven't stopped training. It's going to take you a while to get yo my level." 

"Do I sense a challenge in that tone of yours, menino bonito?" 

"Me? No. It would be too easy to kick your ass." 

"Ouch. You not only hurt my ego, but my heart as well." 

The two men shared a short laugh as the tension in the air suddenly lifted. Bladewolf was relaxed enough to rest on the floor while the two chatted to make the time fly. It was meaningless talk, mostly Sam's snark and Raiden's deflection. They both had a lot to say to fill in the blanks of what happened but it was an unspoken agreement that they would prefer to actually sit down and talk but not in some run down gas station in the middle of no where. 

Doktor's call came quicker than Raiden anticipated and he gestured for Sam to follow as he made his way outside. He spotted their helicopter just a ways behind the station and waved his arm for Sam to follow as Bladewolf ran on ahead to get into the transport. Doktor poked his head out through the doors and Raiden could see his eyes widen once he spotted Sam, his mouth dropping open but nothing coming out. 

"It's alright. It's a long story but I can explain along the way. And please Doktor, don't tell anyone else about this. If Boris, Courtney, or Kevin knew, they would make things more complicated." 

Doktor opened his mouth a few times, looking like he was going to argue against Raiden, but then gave a tired sigh and nodded. 

"If you say so, Raiden. But I would like to hear that explanation of yours, and very soon. Now come on, time for us to go home." 


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raiden, Sam, and BladeWolf make it back to the city but Raiden is still uneasy. What else is new?

The ride was tense, despite the brief conversations that had taken place beforehand between the two men. Wolf couldn't decide who to sit next to so he settled down right in the middle, despite sliding from left to right from time to time as Doktor flew. Raiden placed his foot against the robot's side to prevent him from sliding anymore and the tip of the long tail laying on the floor twitched slightly in response. Raiden couldn't help but briefly wonder if he had to fight with Sam over custody of the robot dog. Hopefully not; Sunny would kill him if he lost that dog. 

 

Sam seemed to have noticed the strange looks Raiden was making with his absurd thoughts because he gave him his own inquisitive look after a few moments of watching him. Raiden responded with a shrug and quickly got up to get to the cockpit of the transport helicopter. Anything to get away from the suffocating tension. Wolf could keep Sam company for a few minutes.

 

Doktor didn't say anything as Raiden took a seat next to him but Raiden could feel the curiosity radiating from the scientist as if it was his aura. _What happened back there? Are you alright? Who is the man sitting behind them? Isn't he supposed to be dead? Is he going to kill us? Did you get the data?_

 

"I can explain everything later, Doktor. I promise. Just... keep this between us until I can figure out what's going to happen next." 

 

Raiden hated having to ask Doktor to keep quiet for him but Sam was known to be extremely dangerous, even before Desperado recruited him, and had once been considered a threat to both Raiden and Maverick, according to his record and accomplishments in the mercenary business. Rumors of Sam's return would just prompt more questions Raiden couldn't answer yet and who knows what Boris would do. Sam could possibly be reviving whatever's left of Desperado, could be a part of a plot bigger than Armstrong's, if that were even possible. Raiden could have already made a major mistake in allowing Sam to come back with him instead of finishing his half-assed job in the desert.

 

No, he was thinking too far into it. Right now. Interrogating Sam more could come later, once Doktor brought them back to the city. That little talk back in the station hadn't even scratched the surface of Raiden's never-ending curiosity. He would find the answers he needed eventually.

 

"You have never led us astray, Raiden. I trust you. But, if I'm asked about this... you know that I can't withhold anything from the company. I signed a contract." Doktor looked uncomfortable saying those words, which made Raiden feel even worse for forcing him into this situation. But he was still immensely grateful for this favor.

 

"Thank you, Doktor. I'll find a way to make this up to you, I promise."

 

"Well, there are some new prototypes I would like to test on an able cyborg body."

 

He knew it was going to go that way. But, he did owe him now.

 

"Alright. I'll find some time for you later this week. For now, you can drop us off on a building somewhere. We'll find our way down."

 

"You're not coming back? Boris would most likely want to speak to you since it took you a while to get back."

 

"Not yet. Not with our... extra cargo. You can drop us off and tell Boris that I'll call him from my apartment. Oh," before he could forget, Raiden pulled out a small chip that he had snagged while on that job. "I believe this is what was asked of me."

 

He placed the small chip into the palm of Doktor's hands, being cautious of the sharp tips of his fingers against a human palm. The scientist gave a pleased nod and pocketed the valuable data. That would probably keep Boris off both their backs until Doktor could get back to their headquarters.

 

"If you come by the workshop later on, I would like to examine your cerebral implants. If that is alright with you."

 

The cyborg gave him a strange look at that, a sense of unease crawling up his spine. Doktor only asked to examine his implants if something was wrong or something was about to go wrong. 

 

"It is not what you are thinking, Raiden. While you were plugged into the security system, some important data could have been imprinted into you. That is a minor side effect of, well... being plugged into a system such as that one. Minor but not threatening, I just want to examine and see what kind of data you might have caught in that head of yours. Data like that could improve our security for the better."

 

While Doktor rambled on about the wonders of Raiden's robotic implants and cyber-security, Raiden let his gaze slowly wander to the back of the helicopter. Sam looked relaxed in that big clunky armor of his, and he was focused primarily on Bladewolf. It looked like Wolf was speaking to him, with the way they were holding eye contact, but it was hard for Raiden to make out with the combined noise of the helicopter and Doktor beside him. 

He was still unsure of how he felt about Sam. He seemed genuine in the gas station, but Raiden knew little about Sam other than what Maverick had dug up on him. Even then, that was all professional. The jobs he had taken, where he had traveled. Nothing on his personal life other than where he got that legendary sword and who his father was. Killed in his own dojo, if Raiden remembered correctly. That would give Sam reason enough to become a hired mercenary, provided he had no other family to go to. An extremely skilled hired mercenary as well. Raiden had read the reports of his activities in the early 2000's; taking on a drug cartel with nothing but a sword against an arsenal of guns. Even if they had been enemies, Raiden had to respect and admire that kind of strength, considering it took him quite a while to master his own sword with a lot of practice and studying old Japanese techniques he found in books and movies. 

 

But what about his morality? Sam seemed willing enough to devote himself to Armstrong and his cause. He seemed to love the thrill of the battle in the same way Raiden did. But he'd expressed doubt to Bladewolf moments before Raiden cut him down in the desert. Had willingly decided to hand over his sword so Raiden could defeat Armstrong and stop an international incident, despite the years of patient, hard work put into the plot. So, who was the Sam that came back to him? 

 

"Raiden. Raiden! I'm going to drop you off here and inform Boris." Doktor brought him out of his deep thoughts and Raiden nodded in confirmation. "Be careful, my friend. Do not let your guard down so easily." 

 

The black-armored cyborg carefully climbed out of the co-pilot's chair and, grabbing onto the seats for support, made his way back to his previous chair in the back cargo area, lingering on Doktor's words. Sam and Bladewolf both looked up at him as he did, as if he was interrupting a private conversation. Their stares made him want to crawl back up to the front but that would give away too much and made it even more awkward than it already was. He tried not to make eye contact with either of them but that only made it worse. When he looked up again, Sam's piercing brown eyes were staring at him. They traveled up and down his body, lingering on certain places on his body. Not the places Raiden would expect one to stare at. Sam seemed like the kind who wouldn't care about gender but would appreciate appearance. Or maybe Raiden was making assumptions that he really shouldn't be. Regardless, Raiden didn't really care what Sam thought of him, considering he came out the victor last time they met. Besides, there wasn't much to look at besides a whole lot of sharp, pointed metal attached to a head. And a spine but that part didn't really matter.

 

"We're going to be dropped off in a minute here. Then, we're going to go over a few things." Raiden's eyes narrowed as he spoke, a tell of what he planned. Sam scratched at his cheek in an effort to conceal a smug grin. He briefly wondered if Raiden had been this expressive with his old body as he was with his cyborg body. Those beautiful eyes of his gave away too much.

 

The chopper rumbled heavily as they landed onto something solid and Sam reached out to grip his seat to keep his balance while Raiden remained as stoic as ever. Raiden was, no doubt, heavier than Sam but Sam had pondered on how much Raiden's armored body really weighed. Deciding to shelve that particular subject until later, the Brazilian swordsmen stood once he was able to. Bladewolf pushed himself against the seats to allow Sam to move in the thin space while Raiden opened the door and hopped out. They had landed on a very large skyscraper, the only available spot nearby other official looking buildings. The pilot (Doktor, was it?) was trying to make it look like he wasn't watching them as they got out. Bladewolf followed right behind him and Raiden poked his head back in to say something to the pilot, though Sam couldn't quite pick it up from the noise of the carrier.

 

The loose hairs from his ponytail swayed in his face as the carrier picked up speed and took off once more, heading northwest. Raiden watched it until it was nothing more than a dot in the distance before turning to Sam. He was just standing there, waiting for Raiden. 

 

"Are you just going to stand there and admire me all day? If so, feel free to continue." Sam's smug smirk made Raiden's frown deepen and he rolled his eyes. 

"Do you want your stupid sword or not?" Raiden snapped and crossed his arms disapprovingly. Admittedly, that remark stung only slightly. The Murasama was more than _just a sword_ for Sam; it carried some of the few memories he had of his home and his family. Sam merely shrugged to keep up appearances.

 

Raiden turned his back slightly to think on his next actions. He still didn't trust Sam enough to let him follow him back to his apartment like a lost dog. But he also didn't trust him enough to leave him alone here, just in case he pulled something and Raiden would be walking right into an ambush as soon as he returned. He sighed and turned back to the samurai, who was waiting patiently for Raiden to make a decision.

"I need to go... retrieve your sword to give it back. But," He paused and looked towards BladeWolf, who was quietly sitting on his haunches between the two swordsmen. "I'm leaving Wolf with you to make sure you don't try anything. Got it?"

 

Despite his attempts at intimidation, Sam chuckled and shook his head in response. At Raiden's intense glare, he simply put his hands up and took a few steps back, relaxed as ever. "If I need a chaperone to look after me while you go on your little field trip, then so be it." With that, he simply strolled over to a nearby vent and leaned up against it, getting comfortable to the wait.

Wolf stood back up on his feet and looked up at Raiden for confirmation. "Wolf, keep an eye on him. Radio me if anything suspicious occurs." The robo-dog gave what appeared to be a nod to Raiden's orders and trotted over to Sam to sit next to him. Sam's face remained as amused as ever and he even laid a hand on Wolf's head in affection, which greatly pleased the robot as his tail started twitching in the beginning of a wag. Seemed like someone was happy to see his old friend.

 

With that situation taken care of, Raiden turned, took a few steps back, and then took off in a run to leap off the side of the building. He landed on the roof of a smaller building below and proceeded to make his way across the city's rooftops. His mask slid into place by his command and his viewpoint changed to a tint of blue while his HUD was marking a waypoint on his radar to find his apartment. 

While running, Raiden had time to reflect and think further on what had happened. What would Sam do once he got his sword back? Would he finally take his chance to betray Raiden and try to strike him down for what happened in the badlands? Sam didn't look the vengeful type but Raiden had to remember that Sam had trained for years simply to kill his father's murderer and then leave soon after. Whose to say he wouldn't do that again here?

But, then again, there was the possibility of Sam leaving again once he got his sword back. He would probably say something snarky, try an attempt at flirting, and then disappear again. And Raiden would do... what? Just pretend that this had never happened and that his rival was somewhere out in the world, alive and kicking and possibly joining another PMC group? Would Maverick ever find out what Raiden knew if that happened? Would Raiden get another chance to take Sam out should their paths cross again with them on different sides once more?

 

Shaking his head, Raiden barely avoided a nasty slip on top of a wet rooftop. Whatever happened after Sam got his sword would happen; right now, Raiden had to focus on the present. Or risk falling from a rooftop into traffic and being on the afternoon news.

 

Thankfully, his apartment was rather close by from where they landed. He landed with a slight skid across the wet, concrete rooftop and headed into the building through the roof's door. Walking through the hallway to the elevator made Raiden slightly nervous. Normally, he would enter and leave the building in either his artificial skin or a longcoat to hide his body from the normal people living here. Seeing a heavily modified, military-grade cyborg carrying a sword on his back would most definitely frighten and confuse the other tenants. Luckily for Raiden, it seemed like there were very few people out and about at this time. They were all probably at work or staying inside due to more rain that was expected later in the day.

 

His door was unlocked when he approached it. He most likely forgot to lock it when he got called in last night. It didn't worry him though; There wasn't much for a burglar to take and the amount of times things had been stolen from anyone's apartment in the building could be counted on one hand. 

 

The apartment was large and mostly empty. While Raiden enjoyed having so much space to himself, it also grew rather lonesome at times. That was usually rectified by inviting his friends over for some drinks or a movie night. It didn't bother him as much as it probably should have, but now wasn't the time to think about that. The sword should still be right where he left it last.

 

Walking down his hall towards the guest bedrooms, Raiden stopped in front of the glass case on his wall. The Murasama sat on its perch, sheath and all. Raiden had made sure to take care of this sword ever since it had fallen into his hands, which included cleaning the blade and sheath and making sure it never got dull from not being used. A holographic number panel appeared as soon as Raiden waved a hand over the installed touch sensors and he quickly put in the six digit code to unlock the case. Raiden had wanted the best security for the best sword; there was no way he was going to let something like this fall into the wrong hands. As much as he disliked Sam, he couldn't hate his sword. When he held it, Raiden could feel the raw power coming from the sword itself. When he ran his fingers down the blade, it felt like he could feel the vibrations within the sword if he focused hard enough. The handle was fitted perfectly to his hand. The blade sharpened to a perfect shape. The fact that this sword was centuries old was amazing enough, but the upgrades it had gone through was astonishing. 

 

He carefully pulled it out of its case and took a moment to admire it one last time. Admittedly, he was going to miss this sword. He _could_ take it and run, but Raiden had more honor than that. This belonged with Sam. And he'd defeated him once while he'd been using this blade, he could do it again.

 

Before he could forget, Raiden quickly made his way to his bedroom closet and pulled out a case to carry the sword in. There was more than one in there: for trips across country, overseas, or during an undercover job. There were normally fitted for his own sword but Raiden had paid to get one or two fitted for the Murasama, should he ever need to take it with him again. Sam could use this one himself, if he didn't already have one. 

 

After checking one last time to make sure he didn't forget anything (and grasping at a few more seconds with the mighty sword), Raiden quickly jogged back onto the rooftop to head straight back to Sam and Wolf. A lingering sense of paranoia clawed at his mind as he did. While he spent time 'oo-ing' and 'ah-ing' at his sword, Sam could have already taken out Wolf and was waiting for Raiden right now. Even though he himself knew this wasn't likely, and that Wolf could most likely take Sam without his Murasama, the possibility of it happening still gnawed away at him.

 

When he finally made it back, Sam and Wolf were exactly as he left them, as if they hadn't moved an inch. It seemed as though whenever he was out of earshot, the pair would go into deep discussion. Whether they were recollecting old memories of the jobs they took together, or if Wolf was interrogating him on his ideals after what had happened, Raiden didn't know. Maybe he could find out if Wolf decided to confide in him. 

 

Wolf looked up once he detected Raiden's presence, followed by Sam. His eyes seemed to light up a little once he saw the case Raiden was carrying and he straightened up from where he was lounging. He took a very brief moment to stretch out the kinks in his back before approaching the black-armored cyborg. Without a word, Raiden simply held out the case in front of him and Sam took it off his hands. He set it down on the concrete and undid the latches, opening it slowly.

His blade looked exactly as it did the day he lost it, no scratches nor dents. He wouldn't admit that a part of him was worried that his sword would become damaged under Raiden's care, but he was glad to see that he could put his mild worries to rest. A warrior like Raiden would have surely taken care of his own weapons but the Murasama was on an entirely different level.

 

He lightly picked it up and admired the sheath with a light touch of his hands. While attaching it to his belt, Sam was starting to feel more and more like his old self again. The added weight of his Murasama was comforting and just feeling the sheath without seeing the sword was almost enough for him. It was as if he could shed his robotic skin and he was 10 years younger and facing down men in costly suits wielding guns that were no match for him. But, just to be sure...

 

He took a few steps back from Raiden and carefully unsheathed his sword. From his peripheral vision, he could see Raiden tensing and his fingers started twitching for his own sword. The red shimmer of his sword filled Sam with a pride he couldn't quite describe, but it was a feeling he missed dearly. The blade was unchanged and it looked like it had been greatly cared for. With a small, honest chuckle, Sam did a few practice swings in the air. Clean, precise cuts on imaginary foes with the perfect tilt and flick of his careful wrist. It was as if nothing had changed.

 

Looking back at Raiden, he could see just how tense the cyborg was now that he had gotten his sword back. He had yet to retract his mask so Sam couldn't see his face, but he could only imagine the frown he was most likely giving him right now. With a little grin still on his face, Sam carefully sheathed his blade and turned to Raiden.

 

"I should thank you, Raiden. It feels good to have my sword back. And, I noticed that it was in peak condition. I half expected it to be covered in dust and cobwebs." Just as expected, Raiden scoffed and relaxed a little.

"You think I would let a sword like _that_ get dirty and dusty? Hardly." There was a hint of a smile in his voice and after a brief but tense moment, the faceplate retracted and revealed Raiden's face. "It was nothing, really. Wasn't mine to begin with." His eyes would briefly linger on Sam's face before finding something interesting on the ground while he spoke. When he wasn't looking, Sam could admire the way Raiden's silver hair would sway in the cold breeze. Sam had to look away to hide a sly little grin. Raiden really _was_ a pretty boy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY sorry for the long wait! I'd lost my creative spark a while back and I would write this chapter in short chunks over a few months but I'm just glad I could finally get it out and move the story along. Hopefully I can get another chapter out soon because I'm very proud with the way this story is going and I'm very happy with the feedback I've getting. Thank you all so much for sticking around and for all the great comments! :)


End file.
